rather of that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "rather of that" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "rather than that"? If this is the case, you can use it to express a preference for one thing over another. Example: "I would prefer to go for a walk rather than that movie."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Speak rather of that which relies, because it works and is".

The Guardian - Books

Speak rather of that which relies, because it works and is" (CW 2 40).

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

There have been suggestions that the trouble was initiated by a single fan, but I am rather sceptical of that.

The Guardian - Sport

"He was actually rather proud of that".

The New York Times

I was rather proud of that one.

The Guardian - Arts

We should be rather proud of that".

The Guardian - Opinion

I don't know — I'm rather fond of that one.

The New Yorker

Joe seemed rather proud of that Y. City columns for this and other newspapers come in all shapes and sizes.

The New York Times

We're rather fond of that sort of thing.

Vice

Rather, J. C. Penney will do all of that.

The New York Times

But Conquest rather grew out of that kind of thing after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "rather of that". The correct form is "rather than that" or "instead of that" to express preference or substitution.

Common error

The word "rather" should be followed by "than" when indicating a preference. Avoid using "of" in this context as it leads to grammatically incorrect sentences.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather of that" functions incorrectly as a prepositional phrase intended to express preference or substitution. Ludwig AI indicates this is grammatically incorrect, although some instances appear in various sources.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "rather of that" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. Ludwig AI flags it as incorrect. While it appears sporadically across different sources, the correct construction to express preference or substitution is "rather than that" or "instead of that". Given its grammatical status, it's best to stick to the correct alternatives for clarity and accuracy in writing. The authoritative sources also generally avoid this construction in favour of the standard "rather than".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rather than that

Uses the correct "rather than" construction.

instead of that

Replaces "rather" with "instead", focusing on substitution.

in place of that

Similar to "instead of that", emphasizing replacement.

as opposed to that

Highlights a contrast or opposition.

in contrast to that

Emphasizes a strong difference.

as an alternative to that

More explicit about offering an alternative.

alternatively to that

Focuses on giving an alternative.

compared to that

Focuses on a comparison, but can imply preference.

by comparison with that

Highlights differences found through direct comparison.

unlike that

Highlights a dissimilarity.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "rather" to show preference?

The correct construction is "rather than". For example, "I would prefer to stay home "rather than" go out".

What can I use instead of the incorrect phrase "rather of that"?

You can use phrases like "instead of that" or "rather than that".

Is "rather of that" grammatically correct?

No, "rather of that" is not grammatically correct. The correct form to express a preference is ""rather than"".

What's the difference between "rather of that" and "rather than that"?

"Rather of that" is grammatically incorrect. "Rather than that" is the correct phrase to use when expressing a preference or alternative.